Empowering Your Mind – Page 29 – Mindset, Motivation and Empowerment

Reduce the Overwhelm of Stress

August 18, 2020 Linda-Ann Stewart

Stress can build up to overwhelm you, or create worry or anxiety. When you’re in the middle of it, it’s hard to know what to do and which way to turn. Learn a 4-step process to take control of what’s stressing you and find solutions.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. Is stress overwhelming you, or causing you to worry or be anxious? Right now, there’s a lot of reason for this, isn’t there? But what can you do about it? I’m Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting, and I’d like to share a simple tip to help you get a bit of control over what’s causing your stress.

A lot of the overwhelm you’re experiencing is because there’s so much change happening in your life. This happens when you move, change jobs, get married, have a child, or anything else that causes massive adjustment in your life. Right now, the upset is coming from outside forces. But there are still things you can do to manage your stress.

I’d like to share a 4 step process that can help you take control.

1. Make a list of all the things that are stressing you out, no matter how small. Include the items that you want to avoid, because they cause you worry and anxiety, too, don’t they?

When you get them out of your head and onto paper, it helps your mind to process them differently. It’s like you’re emptying out a very full jar of water to create space for something better. When you’re able to see them all, you can get a better perspective.

2. Once you have the list, eliminate the items that aren’t causing you much stress. They’re just the minor details that might annoy you, but you can easily handle. This is a step that helps you to gain better perspective.

3. Next, eliminate the items that you can’t do anything about. This could be things other people are doing, or not doing, or other things you have no control over. They don’t merit your attention, because you can’t impact them right now.

4. What’s left are the big items that are concerning you. Take each one, and ask yourself, “What can I do about this?” There will probably be some small actions you can take with each item. Then start taking some of those actions.

By taking charge with this list and deciding on some actions to take, even a small ones, you’ve shifted your focus from feeling powerless to seeking possible solutions. Instead of shutting down your creative mind from stress, you’re inviting other options to surface. You created the empty jar. This will free you to start taking actions that will begin to reduce your list, and your stress. Also, when you do, more solutions will start to present themselves.

If you’d to achieve a 90-day goal more easily, download my free comprehensive Strategic Vision guide at www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/setyourcourse.html. You’ll receive the guide, as well as a training video of that walks you through it with tips and directions to support you in accomplishing your goal.

Thank you for watching. I suggest you take the time to create your list, and notice how you’re able to get a handle on your stress. Take care.

Read the accompanying article, 4 Ways to Manage Your Stress.

Sparks of Insight

August 17, 2020 Linda-Ann Stewart

Not everyone is going to approve of you, your opinions or your decisions. And that’s okay. There’s no way anyone can give you unconditional approval, no matter how much they love you. Remember the old saying, “You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” (Abraham Lincoln) The same is true of approval. The best thing you can do for yourself and everyone else is to live up to your own values and please yourself.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

August 10, 2020 Linda-Ann Stewart

“I am willing to accept new ideas and to release old ideas that have outlived their usefulness. I learn more and more that God is in, through and of all things. Only God’s good now manifests in my life.”

To be able to progress and receive more good, you must be open to moving forward. That may mean letting go of old concepts and conditions that are comfortable but no longer serving you. This creates a vacuum for better ideas and situations to come into your life. And God is all, therefore the more good you can accept, the more is given.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

4 Ways to Manage Your Stress

August 7, 2020 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

When a stressful situation arises, your brain perceives it to be a threat. As a result, your mind instructs your body to react to the circumstance and keep you safe. Any change to your routine or situation is also considered stressful, even if it’s beneficial, like a promotion. And it doesn’t matter if the danger is mental or physical, real or imagined. Your mind can’t distinguish between them, and signals your body to prepare for a fight or flight.

This survival mode closes down the pathway to your Higher Self. You operate instinctively, to protect yourself, and can’t access your intuition, which is a higher level insight.

For instance, your boss might call you into his office, and you’re dreading a confrontation. You feel tense and worry about what it could be about. Instead of being angry, he wants to praise your work on a report. Your stress was caused by your imagination. If the cause of stress isn’t addressed and relieved, that pressure can escalate to a feeling of free floating anxiety and depression.

How You Deal with Stress

When you’re stressed, all of your mental resources focus on handling the crisis. You feel like you have no control. To cope, your attention narrows to what’s right in front of you and you can’t think straight or be creative. Instead, you act reflexively, as you have in the past, whether it was helpful or not. And you remain in this habitual state until the stressful situation passes.

Although you may not be able to control outer circumstances, you can control your reactions. By changing the way you respond to stress, your results change. When you feel in control, you make better decisions and can innovate to solve problems. Taking charge of your actions is vital to your health and well-being.

Many spiritual people object to the idea of being in control. They want to be “in the flow.” Being “in the flow” is different from drifting at the mercy of outside forces. Spiritual people also associate being in control with “control freaks,” who run on fear and lack of trust. Being in control means making conscious choices and being intentional about your actions.

How You Can Gain Control

Here are some ways you can manage stress, rather than letting it manage you.

1. Delay your reaction. Remember, as a child, you were told to count to 10 when you were angry? There is a valid reason for this. When you pause for 10 seconds, it gives your conscious mind time to assert itself. That allows it to move to a more rational position and lets you recognize the consequences of losing your temper. You also have more access to other solutions. To give yourself time, take a walk, go into another room, or do something to take your mind off of it temporarily.

2. Be mindful. Instead of getting swept along by your anxiety, focus on the present. Ask yourself, “What can I control in this moment?” You may not be able to control the environment, the situation, or other people, but you have authority over other things in your life. For example, you can do something nice for yourself or others, remember all the things you’re grateful for, or read something inspirational.

3. Take small steps. Instead of getting overwhelmed, do one tiny thing, like wash the dishes. Then do another. Take one tiny aspect of what’s stressing you, and deal with it. For instance, if you’re concerned about finances, balance your checkbook. When you take action on a single thing at a time, you’re able to calm down your nervous system.

4. Use self-talk. Talk yourself through the problem. When you have an internal (or out loud) conversation with yourself, it allows you to be clearer about the issue. You’re able to organize your thoughts and evaluate what your options might be. Also, you’ve shifted your attention from feeling powerless to seeking a way through the stress. This engages your problem solving partner, your subconscious mind.

Feeling in control is your first step to reducing stress and moving towards a beneficial outcome. As you take charge, you have more power to change your habits and behaviors so you create the life you want. And you’re able to access your Higher Self and your intuition, so you can mine the treasure they bring to create your ideal situation.

Affirmation:

The Universe is always available to help me deal with stress, but first I need to help myself. I have control over my reactions to situations that cause me stress. Once I acknowledge that truth, I can start taking action to reduce the pressure I feel. The more in control I feel, the more energy I have to create the ideal life I desire.

Watch the accompanying video, Reduce the Overwhelm of Stress.

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Sparks of Insight

July 27, 2020 Linda-Ann Stewart

Sometimes affirmations don’t work because you don’t think about them when you say or meditate on them. You’re just repeating them by rote and your feelings aren’t engaged. A thought always precedes a feeling, so think about what the affirmation means to you as you meditate or state it. The emotion you put into it is what powers the affirmation and makes it manifest.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Lessons from Resisting Change

July 22, 2020 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Resistance to change is a normal part of being human. It’s natural, even if what you’re resisting is the very thing you need to do for your progress, health and happiness. Most people don’t like their status quo disrupted or to be forced out of their comfort zone. But change is the order of the universe, and resisting it just brings frustration and suffering. The Universe is trying to move you forward, while you’re holding yourself back.

There’s a saying that, “What you resist, persists.” This means that the energy that you’re putting into resisting makes the undesired change become stronger. It’s like a tug-o-war. You’re putting all your attention into not being pulled from your spot, which means you aren’t thinking of alternatives. What if you let go of the rope, and started considering how to turn the situation to your advantage? This allows you to get into the flow of the Universe, rather than trying to block it.

Learn from Your Resistance

You resist whenever you procrastinate, use busy work to avoid doing something else, are confused, or refuse to commit to a decision. Generally, resistance is fear based. You’re afraid of the loss, unknown, discomfort, or difficulty that you think change will bring. But when you resist moving forward, you close down opportunities and possibilities. Also, the Law of Attraction can’t be creative and bring you your desires.

There are lessons to be learned from resistance. The way you resist shows how you sabotage yourself and hold yourself back. If you recognize how you do that, you can then address those issues. This allows you to make the transition easier from where you are to where you want to be. It opens the channels for Universal good to flow to you.

Ways You Resist

1. You’re rebelling. When you’re forced to do something you don’t really want to, even if it’s in your best interests, resistance becomes rebellion. You think that rebelling puts you in control, but the opposite is true. If you’re rebelling, you’re handing over control to the opposition.

For instance, many smokers use cigarettes as a way to rebel, and resist quitting for that reason. This is true even when they know smoking is hurting them. One way to turn that attitude around is to rebel against cigarettes, which will turn the negative habit of smoking into a healthy behavior. Using that idea, how could you use your rebellion for your benefit?

2. Most people dislike being told what they “should” do. Or they feel guilty when they don’t live according to what they think they “ought to” do. Generally, instead of being compliant, they avoid those injunctions, even if it’s what they want for themselves.

For instance, you know you “should” exercise for your health. You whip yourself for not doing so, but it’s easier to just sit on the couch. Or you know eating less sugar is better for you, but it’s much more satisfying to indulge. You may feel guilty about your behavior, but you still repeat the negative activity. Instead of “shoulding” on yourself, focus on the benefits you’d receive by taking the action you’ve been ignoring.

3. Denial can be a coping strategy when there’s been a significant loss. It gives you time to absorb and process what’s happened, prior to adjusting to the change. But if you use this strategy in your everyday life, it will sabotage you at every level. You resent what’s necessary, and pretend that it doesn’t matter. But when you ignore a necessary step or action, it blocks what you’re trying to accomplish.

For instance, if you want to lose weight, but reject that you need to eat less. No matter what you do, you’ll not be able to achieve your ideal weight. A business person who thinks they can keep all the details of dozens of orders their orders in their head will have a hard time meeting deadlines and being successful. Before you can move forward, you have to accept reality and what is necessary. Instead of being dismissive, shift your attitude to it being your choice to take your next steps.

How do you normally resist moving forward? Learn this and it will give you important information so you know when life is pushing you to change and when you’re combating change. When you encounter resistance, dig into your motivation and focus on what you really want. When you shift your attention from resisting change to embracing the benefits it will bring, you’ll be able to adjust your course and make progress.

Affirmation:

The Universe wants the best for me. I’m willing to make whatever changes are necessary to open up to greater joy, health and abundance. I recognize when I’m resisting my good, and choose a better course. I’m Divinely guided to make the wisest decisions for my highest good.

Watch the complementary video, Meditation to Learn from Your Resistance to Change.

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Finding Your Course in Unstable Times

July 16, 2020 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

People are feeling knocked off balance by the Covid-19 situation, the shut-down, economic chaos, and everything else that has happened in the past few months. It’s hard to find direction, focus and to create a plan, when you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s like your foundation is gone and you’re walking on shifting sands. Unfortunately, I suspect this is probably going to be the situation for a while.

Upheavals Happen

We get used to life flowing on, smoothly, and think that’s the way it will always be. Often, changes happen only in one or two areas of life at a time. And, generally, there’s a warning and transition from one point to another. But then there are times when there’s a sudden upheaval that rocks every aspect of our lives. Losing a loved one, a natural disaster or man-made catastrophe can alter our entire internal and external landscape. And that’s what we’re dealing with now.

The Universe often uses these situations to knock us out of our comfort zone. We’ve stayed too long on one level of consciousness, or held onto people and conditions that we’ve outgrown. The more we fight moving on, the harder the transition will be for us. The flow of the Universe will shove us until we have to let go and allow it to take us to a greater life.

There are those who are still resisting the reality. As a result, they’ll have a harder time adjusting. Instead of trying to live as if everything will go back to what they’re used to, they could use that energy to plan for a new future. For the rest of us, the idea that we’re living in a new reality has sunk in. But we’re still struggling to adjust to and handle our sudden change of circumstances.

How to Get on Track

There are some strategies you can do that will help you get back on course.

Develop a new vision and plan. What worked a few months ago won’t work now, personally or professionally. We had similar issues after 9/11 and the 2008 recession. Those upheavals changed much of how we did things. This time, instead of face-to-face contact, we’re connecting virtually. In person meetings will return, but not at the level they were before. Virtual meetings for personal and professional interactions are here to stay. How can you incorporate this technology, and other changes, into your strategies?

Be flexible. Your goals may have to be adjusted on the fly. If you try to be too strict with how you achieve goals, you could find yourself missing your target. Conditions may change quickly, and you’ll have to roll with them. Create a plan B and C, just in case you have to alter course in an instant. What kind of contingency plans can you develop to deal with your circumstances?

Learn to live with uncertainty. It’s hard to get comfortable with this idea, because we want to be in control. It’s normal to want stability and security. But for a while, the conditions we’ve always depended on are going to be fluctuating. Letting go of the need for control will give you more freedom and ability to adapt. How can you open your mind to today’s available possibilities and opportunities?

Difficult times come and go, but with flexibility, you will survive. Although expansion may be on hold for now, this is when you need position yourself for future growth. As the months progress, you’re going to be acquiring new skills, abilities, and resources. They will serve you well in the future.

Affirmation:

Life is constantly changing. I now align myself with the flow of the Universe and accept that change is happening. I adjust to the shift that’s taking place, and find ways to thrive through it. Something wonderful for me emerges from this situation.

Watch the complementary video Finding Focus in Unsettled Times.

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